Did you know that a pair of peregrine falcons have been building their nest on the roof of Derby cathedral, every spring for the past six years – No ?

Nor did we until Derbyshire Wildlife Trust contacted us to promote their ” Watch Point” in the cathedral square.

Our contribution was to design some feather flags, to mark out the position of the watch and direct visitors. Using our many skills
we created a visually attractive design, featuring an adult falcon about to fly, as the main feature.

The watch point is a small marquee where visitors can see what is happening in the nest, using telescopes or cameras placed at strategic points. Peregrine Falcons have nested on Derby Cathedral Tower since 2006 when a platform was lowered into place to encourage them to settle.

Since that time 23 young have been raised and flown the nest and the project has contributed to the Trust’s understand of these magnificent creatures by capturing the first footage of peregrines hunting at night time.

But the falcons themselves are only half the story in Derby as Derbyshire Wildlife Trust -with their key partners at the Cathedral – have encouraged thousands of people to come along and see them through telescopes and many more to watch them through the webcams that oversee the nesting platform.

The project is now followed by people all over the world – the earliest view of the first egg laid in 2013 came from a supporter in Japan – and closer to home it is used by a wide range of schools and community groups to promote an interest in wildlife and nature.

Amazing species such as peregrine falcons – the fastest animals on Earth – offer a great way for people in urban areas to experience wildlife at its most spectacular.

Many of the people coming to the project have had little previous interest in nature – but through profile raising projects such as “Peregrines & People” the Trust hope to include ever more people in their activities to make Derbyshire a place for wildlife as well as people.